


Confessions

by Nylocke



Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 00:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7384333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nylocke/pseuds/Nylocke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lothar had always teased Khadgar. Ever since they met, Khadgar had been an easy target of the man’s sarcastic tendencies. Khadgar had never minded it; even when they had first met. Anyone who met Khadgar knew that he was a bold, confident, and powerful mage--the playful teasing of a friend would never be enough to get under Khadgar’s skin. It was when Khadgar suspected there was more than just friendly banter in Lothar’s words that it had become a problem. The commander’s remarks had begun to shift, and as time went on they became more and more flirtatious...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks very much to Alyrianna for beta reading this! I haven't written fanfiction in over two years, and it's nice to get back into it with this community. It's been great so far!

For Khadgar, time had completely stopped. 

He could feel his heart beating rapidly, his chest rising and falling, as he tried to catch his breath. He was completely frozen- every inch of his body covered in goosebumps as he gazed up into stormy blue eyes. 

Lothar had him pinned against the wall. One of his arms was laid across Khadgar’s chest, firmly holding him still; his other holding Khadgar’s wrist, pinning it down as he absentmindedly traced gentle circles on the boy’s skin with his thumb. Everything that had ever happened between them flashed through Khadgar’s mind as he searched Lothar’s face, trying to figure out what the hell was going on in the commander’s mind. 

Lothar had always teased Khadgar. Ever since they met, Khadgar had been an easy target of the man’s sarcastic tendencies. Khadgar had never minded it; even when they had first met. Anyone who met Khadgar knew that he was a bold, confident, and powerful mage--the playful teasing of a friend would never be enough to get under Khadgar’s skin. It was when Khadgar suspected there was more than just friendly banter in Lothar’s words that it had become a problem. The commander’s remarks had begun to shift, and as time went on they became more and more flirtatious. He’d wear this playful smile that caught Khadgar off guard, causing his face to flush and his heart to pound. He did his best to hide it from the older man, knowing that Lothar was just trying to get a rise out of him, but he never seemed to do a good enough job. He’d look away, feeling a rush of color bubble up to his face, but he could always feel Lothar’s eyes on him, almost hear the smile on his lips. It was maddening. 

The other day, they had been in a council meeting. Khadgar was used to sitting in on these meetings, but now that he was the Guardian, he was expected to pay attention and make contributions to the discussion. Lothar, however, made that increasingly difficult. On that day in particular, Khadgar could feel the commander’s eyes on him, and the mage ventured a glance at him across the table. That playful smile had tugged at the corners of his mouth as he winked at Khadgar and bit his lip flirtatiously, causing the mage to flush pink before averting his eyes. He was lost in thought when King Llane had asked him a question, bringing his attention back to the meeting. He could feel the color in his face increasing as a moment of silence hung in the air where the boy knew he should be speaking. “Beg your pardon, your Highness?” he had said, eliciting a stifled chortle from Lothar. Damn him, Khadgar had thought to himself as the king repeated the question with a knowing smile.

If winks and brief comments had been the extent of it, Khadgar wouldn’t have minded at all. Lothar’s casual nature in the midst of everything that had been going on set Khadgar’s mind at ease, helping him relax in spite of everything. He enjoyed spending time with Lothar; he was funny and charming and a wonderful friend, one that was fiercely loyal and easy to trust. Occasionally, however, Lothar’s teasing would take a more intense turn. He’d ask the mage questions that were downright blunt and almost crude, things like the type of people he preferred to lay with or if he’d ever been with another man. It was questions like that that would catch Khadgar off guard, causing him to blush and stumble over his words as he prayed to the Light that his feelings for Lothar would remain hidden. 

Khadgar tried his hardest not to think too much about it, which was particularly hard for him as he had the tendency to overthink everything. He knew Lothar had to be teasing, egging him on just to get a rise out of him. He didn’t want to entertain the idea that Anduin Lothar, the Lion of Azeroth himself, would feel anything for him, a runaway Kirin Tor mage who preferred a good book to a glass of ale. Khadgar knew better than anyone that Lothar was charming and charismatic; he was certain that Lothar had known more than his fair share of partners. Still, Khadgar would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t have feelings for the man. Of course, he’d never act on it. Lothar was the best friend he ever had, and Khadgar wasn’t about to go and ruin what they had to chase some false hope of romantic interest. If things remained the way they were for the rest of eternity, Khadgar would be more than happy. Lothar’s companionship was worth far more than a few unrequited feelings. Even now, as Lothar’s eyes searched his own, Khadgar had no intention of telling the man how he felt. 

Khadgar hadn’t been expecting this. He had been sitting in the library alone after dinner, the sun’s last rays casting pink and gold light across the pages of his books. The smell of old books and fresh ink floated in the air, and the scratching of his quill on parchment was the only sound to be heard. He breathed deeply, taking a moment to stretch his back when he heard the door creak open. He turned in his chair to face the door as Lothar entered, closing the door behind him. 

“Good evening, Lothar,” Khadgar had said with a smile. His friend strode over to the desk, fingers brushing the parchments as he feigned interest in Khadgar’s work. 

“Hello, bookworm,” came the reply. Khadgar watched his fingers attentively, making sure he didn’t smudge any of the ink.

“What brings you here this late?”

“You.”

“Is there something I can help you with?”

Lothar cast his stormy blue eyes down at the mage, boring into him, as Khadgar’s breath caught in his throat. “Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. I need to ask you something.”

“Ask away,” the mage replied, hoping the breathlessness in his voice had gone unnoticed. The playful smile tugged at the corner of Lothar’s lips. Damn him.

“When was the last time you romantic were with anyone, bookworm?” Lothar asked, his eyes glittering with mischievousness. 

“When was-- Lothar, are you drunk?”

“I thought I was the one asking questions around here.”

“Lothar--”

“No, I’m not drunk. Just curious. When was the last time you were romantic with anyone?”

Khadgar’s eyes fell to the parchment on his desk, but he still felt the commander’s gaze on him. “Well, if you must know, never. I’ve never had a romantic relationship. I’ve been focused on my studies.”

“Your studies,” Lothar mused, shifting his weight to lean against the desk. “When was the last time you wanted to be with someone?” 

Right now, Khadgar thought to himself, but he shifted his jaw and replied, “I don’t believe that’s any of your business.” 

A chuckle escaped Lothar’s lips, and Khadgar could feel the color rising to his cheeks. Damn him. “You don’t say.”

“I do.”

“Well,” Lothar breathed, turning slightly to rest both hands on the desk behind him. Khadgar glanced up at him to find the commander’s eyes had drifted up, his head tilted back slightly in thought. “I hadn’t expected you to get so defensive, spell-chucker” he continued in a tone of voice that told Khadgar he had most certainly expected it. Lothar glanced back down at him, but Khadgar didn’t turn away. “Now, what should I gather from that?”

Khadgar closed his book and stood up, looking down at the desk to gather his things. “You really shouldn’t look into it too much. There’s nothing to gather; it was a pretty straight-forward statement.” He felt Lothar’s fingers under his chin, turning his head gently so their eyes met. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but he simply gave Lothar an exasperated sigh and let his shoulders fall slightly. “By the Light, Lothar, why do you care, anyway?”

Lothar bit his lip, a gesture which Khadgar pretended not to notice. “You’re the scholar, here, kid. Why don’t you tell me?”

Khadgar couldn’t help but smile a bit, certain that Lothar was messing with him. “It’s getting late, and if you’re not going to allow me to finish studying, I’m going to turn in for the night.”

Mischief flickered across Lothar’s face. “I won’t be letting you finish studying, but you don’t have to leave.” Low laughter escaped his lips as the boy’s eyebrow perked up curiously. “You could keep me company here, if you want. Or perhaps you’d prefer to keep me company in my quarters?” 

Khadgar huffed at him, rolling his eyes and pulling away. His cloak swished behind him as he made to leave, but Lothar’s hand was suddenly around his wrist, pulling him back to face the older man as Lothar deftly closed the space between them. Khadgar felt the wall at his back, and the commander’s arm was pressed firmly across his chest before Khadgar could say a word. He wouldn’t have been able to move even if he wasn’t completely frozen, held in place by Lothar’s piercing gaze more than his strong arms.

“Lothar, what--”

“Tell me, why do you think I care?” Lothar teased, his voice low. “Don’t you have a theory, bookworm?” Their lips were dangerously close, and Khadgar could feel the older man’s breath against his face, steady but shallow and quick. Khadgar’s heart fluttered as a thought entered his mind, the thought that Lothar wasn’t unaffected by their closeness. 

“I-- I might have one,” Khadgar began, his eyes flickering to Lothar’s parted lips and back to his eyes. “But… no, it’s stupid. Let me go, Lothar.”

“Now, why would I do that?” Lothar asked with false innocence, bringing the memory of their first meeting rushing to Khadgar’s mind. Lothar shifted his weight to one leg, leaning harder on the mage, their eyes now level. “I want to hear your theory.”

“I told you, it’s stupid,” Khadgar repeated, his eyes holding Lothar’s gaze with a certain conviction, a certain power in them that made Lothar’s heart skip a beat. If there was anything Khadgar wasn’t, it was a coward. His boldness was a lot of what had intrigued Lothar in the first place, if he was being honest with himself. Problem was, he wasn’t honest with himself most of the time. This time, however, was different.

“I’ll tell you the truth, spell-chucker,” Lothar started. “For a scholar, you’re horribly dense.” His words took Khadgar aback, and the boy’s eyebrows arched up as he stared at Lothar. “I’ve been flirting with you all this time, and you never do anything about it. You just find some excuse to leave or stick your nose in a book. I would have given up if I thought you weren’t interested, but even a blind man could see the way you blush like a maid when I tease you.” Khadgar could feel his face flush, and Lothar smirked, his point proven. “I know you’re brighter than anyone in Azeroth, so you can’t have been so dense as to not notice.” A silence hung between them, tension seeming to crackle in Lothar’s eyes like lightning as he awaited the mage’s reply. 

“You’re being completely serious?” Khadgar asked, a hint of wariness in his voice. He wasn’t about to tell Lothar the truth only to find out he had just been messing with him. Lothar nodded slowly, and the sincerity on his face was enough to convince Khadgar he wasn’t lying.

Khadgar took a deep breath. “You’re right, I did notice. Everyone has noticed, probably. You’re not exactly subtle. But I never thought you were serious about any of it.” Lothar raised an eyebrow inquisitively as the mage continued. “You’re usually so sarcastic about everything, it’s just your sense of humor, which I always liked, don’t get me wrong. That’s just the friendship we’ve had, isn’t it? You’ve always teased me.”

“I’m sorry,” Lothar said. Khadgar blinked, confusion clear on his face.

“Please, don’t be, Lothar,” the mage replied, the earnestness in his voice making Lothar’s heart melt. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. I love our relationship. When you tease me and joke around, it takes my mind off of everything that’s happened, helps me relax. We both have a lot to deal with right now, and Light knows we could both use the lighthearted innocence of friendly teasing.”

Lothar leaned in closer, causing Khadgar’s breath to catch in his throat. “You misunderstood my apology, spell-chucker,” Lothar said, his voice so low it was almost a growl, sending a shiver down Khadgar’s spine. “I’m sorry that I teased you so much that you thought I wasn’t serious about flirting with you.”

“I mean, I had a feeling you might be,” Khadgar began, a sheepish smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “But it would be illogical, really, for you to mean anything by it, so I ignored it.”

“Do you always put logic over your gut instinct, bookworm?”

“Yes,” came the mage’s reply almost immediately, drawing a chuckle from Lothar. 

“Maybe you should give your instincts some more credit, kid.” 

“Maybe I didn’t want to risk your companionship over some dumb feelings,” Khadgar quipped back. Lothar’s heart skipped a beat. 

“Does my companionship really mean that much to you?”

“Of course.” A mischievous glitter danced in Khadgar’s brown eyes. “Maybe I’m not the dense one here after all, Lothar.”

“Anduin”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’d like it if you’d call me Anduin, if I mean that much to you.”

Khadgar smiled widely, the pink in his cheeks hardly noticeable. “You do, Anduin.” 

A satisfied grin broke across Lothar’s face, and he straightened so he stood over Khadgar again, though he kept his arm across the mage’s chest, not letting up at all. He let the confession hang in the air for a bit before he bit his lip again, giving the mage a satisfied little nod. Of all the people in Azeroth, Lothar was certain that this bumbling mage was the only one who could hold a conversation with the amount of unapologetic confidence the boy had while simultaneously being pinned against a wall.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks very much for reading! Please feel free to leave constructive criticism, or shoot me a prompt on my tumblr: ocarinaenthusiast.tumblr.com


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